People come from all walks of life looking for calm, tranquility and every variation of the word "PEACE." It seems as if everybody is looking for peace these days, traveling halfway across the world in search of this thing, this feeling, this state of being that we've all heard about, but can't seem to hold on to with our hands, our hearts, our minds. Even in a sleepy town, set in a seemingly "peaceful" setting between two lazy rivers, the sound of a car or the baseline from a nearby boom box can throw us off on our path to peace, and we're forced to begin our agitated journey once again.

And so it seems as if we've been searching in all the wrong places - outside instead of in - perhaps because creating a picture perfect image of peace is much more pleasant than acknowledging the ugly thoughts, the fears that keep us up at night, the would haves, could haves, should haves and the what ifs.

What if . . . . . what if for a moment we could absorb ourselves entirely into the present, where yesterday and tomorrow did not exist. What if all there is, is NOW, so that even a simple and mundane task such as chopping an onion could take on a whole new meaning, as if doing it for the first time ever. To be engrossed in the texture, the smell, the stinging sensation of the eyes, to acknowledge the experience without an expectation of what comes next. To be undisturbed by the comings and goings of the world around. To be untroubled by that stinging sensation in the eyes. It is what it is. This is what is happening now. Acceptance.

The nice thing about peace though is that it can be contagious, even if for a brief moment. One person's inner peace affects another person's inner peace until, with a little bit of effort, it becomes accessible and available to all. Peace isn't a permanent state of being though, nor should we ever expect it to be. Maybe there's some solace in knowing that. It comes and it goes. Eventually, we learn how to access it in our times of need, like making hot tea on a cold, rainy day. And maybe that cup of tea becomes two cups, three cups . . . . until there's enough to feed the world.